The BRAFITEC program (BRAsil France Ingénieurs TEChnologie) is a bilateral cooperation program between French engineering schools and Brazilian universities that supports the mobility of engineering students through study abroad, exchange, or dual-degree programs, as well as internships.
This program is co-funded by the Brazilian Ministry of National Education (MEC) and the French Ministries of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) and of Higher Education and Research (MESR), with support from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and the Conference of Directors of French Engineering Schools (CDEFI).
Each year, the forum brings together project coordinators from the BRAFITEC program, a cooperation and exchange initiative established between French engineering schools and Brazilian universities. This event is held alternately in France and Brazil. Through workshops, debates, and roundtable discussions, the forum provides an opportunity to review the initiatives carried out over the past year, engage in direct discussions on educational and administrative issues, and explore opportunities for joint research. It also serves as a platform to discuss and propose changes to the program. Finally, it offers an ideal setting for preparing new cooperation projects. Representing UTBM, Pauline DOXIN, Head of Partner Relations, and Natallia BOLLE, Head of Partner Agreements and Mobility, attended this18thedition, which took place in the heart of the Paris-Saclay science and technology hub from June 11 to 13, 2025. Their objectives were to explore new partnership opportunities and engage with our current partners.
Partnerships
As part of the BRAFITEC initiative, UTBM is participating in a project focused on engineering skills training for the development of measurement and monitoring systems, in partnership with UTC and the Brazilian universitiesUFPA (Federal University of Pará) andUFF (Fluminense Federal University). For more information, contact the UTBM coordinator, Yassine RUICHEK.
We also have student exchange agreements with these South American partners. This semester, we welcomed two students in the dual-degree program in mechanical engineering: Matheus BLITZKOW and Vinicius FIORI SOUZA from UTFPR. And five students will be coming for a semester-long exchange starting in September: two students from UFF, two students from
the UFPA, 1 student fromthe UTFPR (Federal Technological University of Paraná). We will also welcome a dual-degree student from the UTFPR.
What about graduating students?
It is possible to spend a semester studying at four of our partner universities in Brazil. However, since most courses there are taught in Portuguese, we’ve had only one student since 2018—Ayoub AIT MOULAY, a mechanical engineering student—who went to Brazil as part of the SEE program. He just returned and is thrilled with his experience!
“This experience allowed me to strengthen my skills, discover new teaching methods, and broaden my horizons to a different scientific and cultural perspective. Now I’m moving forward with my engineering career, more motivated than ever! Thank you to the entire team at theUFABC for their warm welcome, their support throughout my stay, and the wonderful conversations we shared,” says Ayoub.
In the photo above, Ayoub is pictured with the UFABC International Office team, holding two mugs: one from UFABC and the other from UTBM—a lovely tradition of symbolic exchange between our two universities.
Partner Visit
As part of the training project on engineering skills for the development of measurement and monitoring systems, we welcomed Joao WEYL from UFPA on June 16 and 17, 2025. The first day, devoted to a presentation of UTBM and a tour of the CrunchLab and the Sevenans Campus, involved the participation of Franck GECHTER, Director of International Relations; Natallia BOLLE, Head of Partner Agreements; Adélaïde CAREIL, Exchange Program Coordinator; Matheus BLITZKOW, an incoming student; Ludovic VITU, a faculty member and researcher in mechanical engineering (and a Portuguese speaker!); and Lucas DEMBINSKI, a faculty member, researcher, and international coordinator for the mechanical engineering program. He also visited the TITAN platform and the mechanical engineering classrooms.
On the second day, our guest spent the morning touring the Montbéliard site and the CIAD, accompanied by Yassine RUICHEK, the UTBM coordinator for this project; the day then continued with working meetings. A big thank you to everyone involved—especially the CIAD teams—in organizing the visit and welcoming Joao WEYL.
This visit provided an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen the partnership between our institutions and to explore the possibility of establishing a dual degree program.
A big thank you to him for our constructive discussions!
